The Heart of Laos
An adventure to the jewel of South East Asia
In the heart of verdant serenity, where whispers of the mystique permeate the air, a land emerges from the embrace of time’s enigmatic currents. Veiled in emerald splendor, Laos, a tapestry of enigmatic tales, unveils its secrets to those who tread its hidden pathways. Enchanted by the languid flow of the Mekong River, ancient spirits dance amidst the ancient temples, their sacred whispers echoing through the its spiritual realm. Legends and rituals intertwine, mirroring the undulating mountains that guard untold wonders. Within the shadowy depths of lush jungles, where secrets whisper and flora pulses with enigmatic energy, Laos unveils itself as a riddle waiting to be deciphered, a mosaic of enigmatic beauty that captivates the soul of the curious wanderer.
On this Laos adventure tour from the capital of Vientiane in the south to Luang Prabang, the soul of Laos in the north get lost in the beauty of Laotian landscapes and culture. Embrace the ethereal charm of Vang Vieng, where limestone cliffs tower above turquoise waters, painting a picture of serenity and adventure intertwined. Wander the many serene temples, explore mysterious caves and learn about the local people and their lives.
Travelling mostly by local train on this adventure tour through Laos will give you a chance to meet and experience the warmth of the people and stay in locally owned and operated traditional hotels for complete immersion in Laos’ amazing culture.
LAOS ADVENTURE TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
- Explore the chilled out city of Luang Prabang, wander its small streets, funky restaurants and tour the temples of the soul of Laos.
- Visit the rustic town of Nongkiew on the banks of the Ou River and pause on the journey from Luang Prabang to explore Laos’ hill villages
- Pay your respects to the Emerald Buddha and wonder at the gilded temples in the capital Vientiane
- Ride the rails through the countryside as we travel between our destinations by train, allowing us to mingle with the friendly local people
- Embrace nature and explore caves, the Blue Lagoon and small town life in Vang Vieng
- Learn about textile weaving from the Tai Lue people, take a shot of Lao Laos at the whiskey village, as well as learn about the conservation of the Asiatic Bear at Kuangsi Bear Rescue Centre.
The Basics
Start: Vientiane
Finish: Luang Prabang
Trip style: Unique
Max group size: 10
10 Days
VIENTIANE – LUANG PRABANG
$2797 AUD*
Departure date: 17 October 2023
OR CONTACT US for more information
Trip code: HLVL *from
ITINERARY
Details
Duration: 10 Days
Trip style: Unique
Group size: Minimum 4 / Maximum 10
Trip code: HTDD
Cost: $2797.00 AUD twin share
Single supplement: $1100.00 AUD
Inclusions
- 9-nights accommodation in traditional and locally operated hotels
- Airport transfers on arrival and departure
- Tickets Vientiane – Vang Vieng and Vang Vieng – Luang Prabang
- Meals as specified in itinerary (B = Breakfast / L = Lunch / D = Dinner)
- Services of your Inverted Atlas trip leader and local guides
- All entrance fees as per itinerary
Trip price does not include
- International airfares or domestic airfares
- Visa for Laos
- Meals not included as per trip itinerary including drinks and mini bar
- Additional accommodation before or after the tour
- Items of a personal nature including but not limited to laundry, souvenirs, porterage etc.
- Travel insurance – please note comprehensive travel insurance is a condition of travel with Inverted Atlas
Journey Rating – Quest
This is an adventure tour to Laos a wonderful colourful country but one where things might not always go to plan and should you definitely pack your sense of adventure and more importantly your sense of humour. There are a few very long travel days where we will be getting up early and arriving into our accommodation quite late, but never fear – all the accommodation is of a comfortable standard with no sharing or camping. We will mostly travel by train on this trip, which gives you a chance to mingle with the local people.
The quality of amenities such as hospitals and pharmacies will be limited to large cities. Be prepared for eastern-style squat toilets in public places (not hotels). The weather is likely to be a very comfortable 20 degrees with some slight humidity.
A note about fitness
This is an adventure tour to Laos and as such requires a reasonable level of physical fitness. You should be able to walk up to 2.5km during scheduled sightseeing, climb up to 200 stairs unassisted, use an eastern style squat toilet (beware if you have knee issues) and confidently walk over uneven surfaces. You will need to be able to carry your own luggage to and from the coach/bus, as well as on and off the trains. (Due to OH&S regulations our trip leaders are not able to assist with luggage.) There are also a couple of activities which require a short amount of easy grade hiking through forests at an incline.
In addition, you should be in good health, with no major chronic conditions requiring frequent medical attention. This trip sometimes travels through remote locations where the availability of a hospital or even phone reception to call an ambulance is limited. While all our trip leaders are required to have a valid first aid certificate, they are far from doctors and any assistance they are able to provide will be limited to basic first aid. For more information please see our booking conditions.
Single supplement
Traveling by yourself? No problem, we love single travelers and don’t believe in penalising them by charging half the trip price again for our single supplement. With us you are only paying the actual cost to have a room all to yourself. If you’re up for making a new friend, you can elect to share with another single traveler of the same sex and only pay the twin-share price. The choice is yours!
Trip leader description
Accompanying you on your adventure tour to Laos will be your Inverted Atlas trip leader. Your trip leader is a logistics extraordinaire, keeps the trip running smoothly and ensures you have the best time possible on your trip. It is important to know that while your trip leader has the best job in the world, they aren’t actually on holidays, but rather they are there to make sure you have the best time while you are on your holiday! Your trip leader may at times need some time out so that they can complete back of house tasks that ensure everyone continues to enjoy the trip. It is also your trip leaders’ job to handle any issues (heaven forbid!) that come up while you’re on your trip like:
- If you lose your passport or other travel documents
- If there is a problem with your room at the booked accommodation – seriously please tell your trip leader don’t wait until you leave
- If you become unwell and need to find a pharmacy
- Assisting with restaurant recommendations or additional sightseeing during free time
- Questions regarding the itinerary
Your trip leader will have some good local knowledge about the destination in which you are traveling, however they are not a ‘local guide’. You’re welcome to ask your trip leader anything about the trip and if they don’t know they will find out and get back to you. Other people you will meet along the way are ‘local guides’ who are generally available to the group in specific towns or at specific sites like national parks, temples or archaeological sites. These people are the local experts and will be able to answer any questions you may have about the history and culture of a specific site.
Itinerary disclaimer
This itinerary is correct at the time of upload to our website and we have composed it in good faith. From time to time we may elect to make changes before departure, if we are making a big change we will of course notify you, however if it is a small change this will be reflected in the final trip notes. So, make sure you download these prior to departure. Small changes prior to departure are usually made with the groups best interests in mind and come about due to liaising with our best resources – our past travelers and of course our trip leaders! The ability to change and evolve depending on what our travelers enjoy is what makes us such a great trip operator.
While we strive to operate our trips exactly to the letter of the itinerary, sometimes we may need to make changes on the ground while the group is on the road. This is all part of the adventure of traveling and we would ask that you come on your trip with an open mind and a good sense of humour because as much as we want it to, everything doesn’t always go to plan. In fact, these impromptu situations often make the best stories that you can have a laugh with your friends about later.
** This itinerary is run in conjunction with our partners at Enticing Destinations **
Age requirements
Minimum Age: 16 years
We do not recommend bringing young children on this trip due to the remoteness of some of the destinations visited.
There is no upper age limit for this trip but you should consider the above fitness requirements prior to booking. If you are 65 years or over you will be asked to complete our Health Check Form and have your medical practitioner sign it to confirm you are good health and able to participate safely on this trip.
Travel insurance
Please note that comprehensive travel insurance is a condition of travel with Inverted Atlas. Insurance must include provision for medical situations, emergency medical repatriation to your home country and personal liability at a minimum. Proof of valid travel insurance will be requested by your trip leader on arrival at the pre-departure meeting. Please have this paperwork available for them. If you are unable to provide proof of comprehensive travel insurance, you may not be allowed to join the trip and no refund will be payable.